CNN has featured Busan's pufferfish soup, known locally as bokguk, as "the world's most dangerous bowl of soup," as foreign visitors to the southern port city continue to surge and global media turn their attention to its local cuisine.
Foreign tourists to Busan reached 3.64 million last year, up 24.4 percent from the previous year, according to the Busan Metropolitan Government on Friday. The figure significantly exceeds the 15.7 percent growth rate of foreign arrivals to South Korea as a whole during the same period.
Foreign spending in Busan also surpassed 1 trillion won for the first time, with food and beverage expenditures accounting for 18.4 percent of the total. Amid this trend, Busan's local cuisine has begun to draw the spotlight of global media.
CNN recently published an article titled "Removing poison and stigma from the world's most dangerous bowl of soup," giving substantial coverage to the pufferfish dishes that represent Busan.
The report explained that while seafood is popular across Korea, pufferfish is a Busan specialty, caught along its coast. It also noted that the Mipo area of Busan is known locally as "Pufferfish Village," and that several of Busan's pufferfish restaurants were listed in the inaugural 2024 Michelin Guide Busan edition.
CNN emphasized that the neurotoxin tetrodotoxin contained in pufferfish can be fatal if mishandled, but explained that the fish can be safely consumed once the detoxification process is complete. In Korea, handling pufferfish requires passing a separate examination and obtaining a state-issued license. The article also noted that customers can check the license displayed on the restaurant wall themselves.
CNN focused on Chowon Bokguk in the Haeundae area as a representative old-school restaurant in Busan. The restaurant's founder, Kim Dong-sik, was the first licensed pufferfish chef in Busan. The lunch set features a rich pufferfish soup with radish, water dropwort and bean sprouts, accompanied by two kinds of kimchi, water dropwort and rice, with pufferfish fritters served as an appetizer. The basic course is priced at 18,000 won (about $12).
The article also traced the history of pufferfish as food. Pufferfish is listed as a regional specialty in Joseon Dynasty records, and may have been used as an ingredient even earlier. Park Sung-bae, a chef and food historian, said in a CNN interview, "When you boil bean sprouts and pufferfish together, it has a refreshing and clean taste, so people often eat it as a hangover soup." He added, "Its firm texture pairs well with the broth and gently soothes the stomach."
He also pushed back on the common belief that Korean pufferfish cuisine was introduced through Japan, saying, "Food cultures have always exchanged with each other, and Korean food pursues a relaxed beauty within a diversity that is not bound by rules."
CNN reported that most pufferfish used in restaurants are farmed. When raised on feed that does not contain tetrodotoxin, the toxicity nearly disappears, according to the report. Rachel O'Leary, senior travel designer at Jacada Travel, said in a CNN interview, "As Korea has gained popularity, travelers are venturing beyond Seoul. With its beaches, relaxed atmosphere and fresh seafood, Busan is a natural choice."
Bokguk holds appeal beyond that of a simple regional dish. CNN noted that the firm texture of pufferfish flesh pairs well with the rich broth, soothing the stomach, and that when boiled with bean sprouts, the refreshing taste comes alive, making it a popular hangover soup. The skin is rich in collagen, offering both texture and nutrition. Asked by CNN why he has devoted himself to pufferfish cuisine for more than 20 years, chef Park Sung-bae replied, "Just one reason — because it's delicious."
